Rubber is a versatile material with a vast number of uses, one of which is for the manufacture of shoe outsoles. The manufacturing of reproducible and consistent cured rubber products requires precise measurement and handling of the uncured rubber forms, such as rubber pellets, sheets, discs, cylinders, etc. Unfortunately, the precise handling of uncured rubber forms is challenging because uncured rubber forms can stick together and agglomerate.
Anti-tack agents have been developed to decrease uncured rubber's tackiness. Exemplary anti-tack agents include kaolin clay dispersed in a water and soap solution, chemicals such as sodium sulfate, sodium phosphate, etc., which may also be used in water dispersions. Fatty acid salts and ethylene bis-stearamide (EBS) are other examples of anti-tack agents used in the industry.